Device for preservation and rethermalization of meal trays

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a device comprising, in an insulating chamber, an internal space for receiving a tray divided into a rear compartment for rethermalization and a front compartment for preserving cold, which communicate with each other through an intermediate passage, and which are accessible through a front passage. A front closing flap and an intermediate closing flap are rigidly coupled to each other via longitudinal lateral arms, and are displaced by tilting between a closed position to close the front passage and the intermediate passage respectively and an open position for passing a meal tray from the front to the rear. The closing flaps contribute to the thermal insulation, and enable efficient rethermalizatlon to obtain core-heated food items in the rear compartment and food items preserved cold in the front compartment.

This application is the U.S. national phase application of PCTInternational Application No. PCT/FR01/03414 filed Nov. 6, 2001.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the institutional distribution ofmeals, for example in hospitals or other similar institutions, enablingfoods placed on a meal tray to be stored and heated.

Institutional distribution of meals frequently uses meal trays on whichfoods are placed so that they are directly accessible to the personeating the meal without necessitating additional manipulations. The mealtrays usually have a first tray portion carrying foods intended to beeaten cold, and a second tray portion carrying foods intended to beeaten hot. The meal trays are prepared in an institutional kitchen, thenthey are collectively transported in an insulated or refrigeratedtrolley that usually contains from 10 to 40 meal trays.

The above kind of trolley is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,973, forexample. The foods intended to be eaten cold are kept cold by anintegral cooling device that operates on one half of each meal tray. Thefoods intended to be eaten hot are on the other half of each meal tray,which is insulated from the first half by a fixed partition. At mealtimes, personnel must remove the meal trays from the trolley anddistribute them to the persons eating the meals.

One problem is complying with hygiene conditions, and especiallytemperature conditions, both for storing the foods and for heating themto the correct temperature. After heating, the foods intended to beeaten hot must be at a core temperature in the region of 65° C., whereasthe foods intended to be eaten cold must be at a core temperature ofaround 8° C. But all of those foods are placed on the same meal tray,and it is clear that an exchange of heat tends to take place between thetray portion carrying the hot foods and the tray portion carrying thecold foods.

The above prior art devices do not comply with these hygiene conditions,and this encourages the growth of bacteria and the propagation ofcertain illnesses.

To improve the storage and heating of foods placed on a meal tray,enabling the foods to be kept cold until it is time to heat them, and toensure correct heating, so that the foods are at a standardizedtemperature when the meals are eaten, a device for storing and heatingfoods placed on a meal tray has already been developed (see U.S. Pat.No. 6,120,819), the device comprising:

an insulated enclosure having an interior space for receiving a trayaccessible via a front passage and divided into a rear compartment and afront compartment that communicate with each other via an intermediatepassage,

a cooling device adapted to maintain an appropriate storage temperaturein the interior space in the insulated enclosure for receiving a tray,

a heating device, adapted to generate a heat energy in a heating spacein the front compartment or the rear compartment,

a front closure flap and an intermediate closure flap, that aremechanically coupled together using articulated arms to move verticallybetween (i) a closed position in which the front closure flap closes thefront passage and the intermediate closure flap closes the intermediatepassage above the meal tray to provide thermal insulation, and (ii) anopen position in which the front closure flap and intermediate closureflap are retracted to allow the meal tray and the foods on it to moveback and forth.

This kind of structure provides some thermal insulation between theportion containing the heated foods and the portion containing the coldfoods, and in theory allows simultaneous manipulation of the thermalinsulation flaps since the front flap is directly accessible to theuser.

It has become apparent that the structure with two flaps describedbriefly in U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,819 is unsatisfactory: the verticalsliding movement of the two flaps requires sealed vertical lateral guideslideways and articulated connections to the connecting arms. Thesecomponents complicate the fabrication of the device and increase itscost, necessitate special precautions to ensure a satisfactory seal, andmost importantly constitute an assembly that is too complex to be easilycleaned and thereby comply with foodstuffs standards. The prior artdocument is silent on these problems and how they are possibly solved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problem addressed by the invention is that of designing a newthermal insulation structure between the hot and cold compartments thatis, at the same time, simple, efficient and of low cost, and inparticular allows easier cleaning in compliance with foodstuffsstandards and hygiene conditions.

Another object of the invention is to design a device of the above kindthat is particularly simple to manipulate, so it can be used by personswith reduced mobility, such as bedridden hospital patients.

To achieve the above and other objects, in a structure according to U.S.Pat. No. 6,120,819, the invention provides that the front closure flapand the intermediate closure flap are rigidly connected together by twolongitudinal lateral arms that are mounted in the interior space forreceiving a tray on two colinear transverse pivots, the two flaps andthe two arms together forming a rigid assembly that tilts between anopen position and a closed position. The device is simpler, inparticular because the flaps no longer slide vertically in guideslideways, guidance being provided exclusively by the pivots.

The seal at the perimeter of the intermediate closure flap can beimproved by providing simple elastic tongues, for example elastomertongues, that bear and slide on a conformed contact surface. Forexample, the lateral edges of the flap are arcuate and centered on therotation axis, and curved tongues fastened to the frame bear frontallyon said lateral edges of the flap. The transverse edges of the flap arestraight, and straight transverse tongues fastened to the frame bearfrontally on said transverse edges of the flap.

It is advantageous to make the tilting rigid assembly easily demountablefor cleaning by exploiting the elasticity of the tongues providing theseal. To this end, the pivots can be fixed horizontal pegs that engagevertically and removably in vertical notches in the bottom edges of theconnecting arms. Alternatively, horizontal pegs can be provided on theconnecting arms and removably engaged in vertical notches fixed withrespect to the frame.

The heating space is preferably in the rear compartment, so that, theuser can take hold of the cool area of the tray.

In one advantageous embodiment, the heating space is between a rearportion of the meal tray and a cloche that is placed over it to closesaid heating space. This improves the thermal insulation between the hotand cold food portions.

The device can advantageously include electrical power supply meansadapted to supply electrical power to one or more electrical heatingelements in the heating space.

The electrical heating element(s) are preferably incorporated into thewall of the cloche. This further improves the thermal insulation betweenthe hot portion and the cold portion, preventing direct heat exchangevia the body of the tray itself.

In one advantageous embodiment, the cloche is removable and is carriedby the meal tray.

The device preferably further includes a complementary interior space,which is below the interior space for receiving the tray, accessiblefrom an open front side, and cooled by the cooling device, and a frontdoor for selectively closing off said open front side and the frontpassage in front of the front closure flap. A device of this kind cantherefore serve simultaneously as a bedside table, a device for heatingand storing foods on meal trays, and a refrigerator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willemerge from the following description of particular embodiments, whichis given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one embodiment of a deviceaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing interior portions of the FIG. 1device relating to means for storing and heating foods, with a meal trayin position and the flaps open;

FIG. 3 is an overhead perspective exterior view of the FIG. 2 portionsof the device, with the flaps open;

FIG. 4 is an underneath perspective view of the FIG. 3 device when open;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing the interior portions of thedevice when closed; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the flaps coupled together andforming a rigid assembly with the connecting arms.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The embodiment of a device according to the invention shown in FIG. 1includes an insulated enclosure 1 having an interior space 2 forreceiving a tray that is accessible via a front passage 3 and is dividedinto a rear compartment 4 and a front compartment 5 that communicatewith each other via an intermediate passage 6. A complementary interiorspace 7 under the interior space 2 for receiving a tray is accessiblevia an open front side 8. A front door 9 selectively closes the openfront side 8 and the front passage 3.

Refer now to FIGS. 2 to 5, which show the interior compartments moreclearly, the peripheral walls of the insulated enclosure 1 having beenremoved.

These figures therefore show the interior space 2 for receiving a tray,the front passage 3, the rear compartment 4, the front compartment 5,the intermediate passage 6.

These figures show, most completely in FIG. 2, a meal tray 10, which hasa front portion 11 intended to carry foods to be eaten cold, and a rearportion 12 intended to carry foods to be eaten hot. The rear portion 12is closed by a cloche 13 which defines a heating space 14. Thus, theheating space 14 consists of the volume between the rear portion 12 ofthe meal tray 10 and the cloche 13 placed on top of it. The heatingspace 14 is closed, except for two small lateral openings such as theopening 15, provided in the two opposite lateral sides of the cloche 13.

In the embodiment shown, which is the usual arrangement, the meal tray10 is divided into a front portion 11 and a rear portion 12 ofsubstantially the same size.

A cooling device 16 (see FIG. 1) is adapted to maintain an appropriatestorage temperature in the interior space 2 for receiving a tray, whichcomprises the rear compartment 4 and the front compartment 5, and thecomplementary interior space 7.

A heating device 17, in the rear compartment 4, is adapted to generate aheat energy in the heating space 14.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the heating device 17 includesan electrical power supply circuit, with electrical conductors 18connected to terminals inside a box 19. The terminals contact twocorresponding conductive tracks on the upper surface of the cloche 13.The conductive tracks are connected to one or more electrical heatingelements in the top wall of the cloche 13 and adapted to heat theheating space 14.

According to the invention, the device includes a front closure flap 20and an intermediate closure flap 21, which are mechanically coupledtogether and move between a closed position shown in FIG. 5 and an openposition shown in FIGS. 2 to 4.

In the closed position shown in FIG. 5, the front closure flap 20 closesthe front passage 3, and the intermediate closure flap 21 (see FIG. 2)closes the intermediate passage 6 above the meal tray 10, thus providingthermal insulation between the rear compartment 4 and the frontcompartment 5.

In the open position shown in FIG. 2, the front closure flap 20 and theintermediate closure flap 21 are retracted to allow the meal tray 10,the foods on it and the cloche 13 to move back and forth.

As shown in FIG. 2, and in more detail in figure 6, the front closureflap 20 and the intermediate closure flap 21 are rigidly connectedtogether by two longitudinal lateral arms 22 and 23 that rotate aboutrespective colinear transverse pivots 24 and 25. The two closure flaps20 and 21 and the two longitudinal lateral arms 22 and 23 together forma rigid tilting assembly that pivots between closed and open positions.

In FIG. 2, the longitudinal lateral arms 22 and 23 each have a hole inwhich is engaged a respective pivot 24 or 25 fastened to the frame ofthe device. In this embodiment, demounting of the rigid tilting assemblycomprising the two longitudinal lateral arms 22 and 23 and the twoclosure flaps 20 and 21 requires the pivots 24 and 25 to be removedfirst.

In an advantageous embodiment, shown in FIG. 6 in particular, and alsoin FIG. 3, the rigid tilting assembly is made easily demountable forcleaning. To this end, it rotates on fixed horizontal pegs, which arefastened to the frame of the device, and engage vertically in twonotches 24 a and 25 a in the bottom edge of the longitudinal lateralarms 22 and 23. The rigid tilting assembly can therefore be easilydemounted by raising it vertically to move the notches 24 a and 25 aaway from the pegs constituting the pivots, and then moving the rigidtilting assembly horizontally in translation toward the front to take itout of the device. After cleaning, it is easy to re-engage the rigidtilting assembly by moving it in horizontal translation toward the backof the device, and then engaging the notches 24 a and 25 a over thepegs.

For compatibility with the facility to demount and remount the rigidtilting assembly, a seal can advantageously be provided by elastictongues, for example elastomer tongues, which bear and slide on aconformed contact surface. For example, the lateral edges of the flap 21can advantageously be arcuate and centered on the pivot 24 or 25, andcurved elastic tongues fastened to the frame can bear frontally on thelateral edges of the flap 21. Similarly, the transverse edges of theflap 21 are straight, and straight transverse elastic tongues fastenedto the frame can bear frontally on the transverse edges of the flap 21when it is closed. FIG. 6 shows diagrammatically an elastic tongue 21 abearing frontally on a rear area of a lateral edge 21 c of the flap 21and an upper elastic tongue 21 b bearing frontally on a rear portion ofan upper transverse edge 21 d of the flap 21.

A latch 26 can advantageously be provided (see FIG. 2), for exampleabove the cloche 13 and cooperating with the intermediate closure flap21. The latch selectively locks the tilting assembly 20-23 in the closedposition while the device is heating.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, when the device is open, thefront closure flap 20 is lowered to a position under the front passage3, whereas the intermediate closure flap 21 is raised to a positionabove the intermediate passage 6.

The device operates as follows: when distributing meal trays 10, theuser opens the front door 9, then lowers the front closure flap 20,which simultaneously raises the intermediate closure flap 21. The usercan then insert a meal tray 10 into the interior space 2 for receivingthe tray, with the cloche 13 in the rear compartment 4 and the frontportion 11 of the tray in the front compartment 5. The rear compartment4 is shaped to contain all of the rear portion 12 of the meal tray 10with the cloche 13, whereas the front compartment 5 is shaped to containall of the front portion 11 of the meal tray 10.

The user can then close the flaps by returning the front closure flap 20to the closed position shown in FIG. 5. The user can also close thefront door 9. The device is then adapted to maintain a low storagetemperature for the meal tray 10 and the foods on it.

The power supply means are caused manually or automatically to supplypower to the electrical heating elements contained in the cloche 13,which heat the heating space 14 and the foods that it contains. Duringthis time, the cooling device continues to cool the foods intended to beeaten cold in the complementary interior space 7.

After heating, the user can lower the front closure flap 20, which isunlatched, and take out the meal tray 10.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments explicitlydescribed, but includes variants and generalizations thereof within thescope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for storing and heating foods on a mealtray, the device comprising: an insulated enclosure having an interiorspace for receiving a tray accessible via a front passage and dividedinto a rear compartment and a front compartment that communicate witheach other via an intermediate passage, a cooling device adapted tomaintain an appropriate storage temperature in the interior space in theinsulated enclosure for receiving a tray, a heating device adapted togenerate a heat energy in a heating space in the front compartment orthe rear compartment, a front closure flap and an intermediate closureflap, that are mechanically coupled together to move between (i) aclosed position in which the front closure flap the front passage andthe intermediate closure flap closes the intermediate passage above themeal tray to provide thermal insulation, and (ii) an open position inwhich the front closure flap and intermediate closure flap are retractedto allow the meal tray and the foods on it to move back and forth,wherein the front closure flap and the intermediate closure flap arerigidly connected together by two longitudinal lateral arms that aremounted in the interior space for receiving a tray on two colineartransverse pivots, the two flaps and the two arms together forming arigid assenbly that tilts between an open position and a closedposition.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein a seal is providedat the perimeter of the intermediate closure flap by elastic tongues. 3.A device according to claim 1, wherein the pivots are horizontal pegsadapted to engage removably in vertical notches.
 4. A device accordingto claim 1, wherein the heating space is in the rear compartment.
 5. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein the heating space is between a rearportion of the meal tray and a cloche that is placed on it to close saidheating space.
 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein it includeselectrical power supply means adapted to supply electrical power to oneor more electrical heating elements in the heating space.
 7. A deviceaccording to claim 6, wherein the electrical heating element(s) areincorporated in the wall of the cloche.
 8. A device according to claim7, wherein the cloche is removable and is carried by the meal tray.
 9. Adevice according to claim 1, further including a complementary interiorspace, that is under the interior space for receiving a tray, accessiblevia an open front side, cooled by the cooling device with a front doorfor selectively closing said open front side and the front passage infront of the front closure flap.
 10. A device according to claim 1,further including a latch adapted to lock the tilting assembly in theclosed position when the device is heating.